


A New Appreciation

by dixid



Category: DCU - Comicverse
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-20
Updated: 2010-01-20
Packaged: 2017-10-06 12:30:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/53718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dixid/pseuds/dixid
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the face of tragedy a hero gains perspective.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A New Appreciation

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kirax2](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kirax2/gifts).



> Part of kirax2's "Heroes in Haiti" challenge. Thank you for tracking and linking all your flist offers on help_haiti. You did an awesome job of getting the word out.

He'd seen death and destruction before. You couldn't be a part of the hero community for very long before witnessing the worst that humanity had to offer; but this wasn't an enemy that he could fight. Forces of nature weren't accountable to any laws or justice system. All he could do now was help with the rescue efforts, when the rebuilding began he'd be back again.

Even though he was young and relatively inexperienced compared to some of the other heroes, he was able to use his technological advantage to help find survivors. Focusing on that task to the exclusion of any other thought was the only way he was able to remain composed amid the devastation. More experienced heroes and civilian aid workers attempted to regulate the number of hours the younger heroes were in the field, warning of burnout and cautiously monitoring emotional states. Several veterans had remarked on his professionalism. Quite the contrast to his usual banter, but this was no place for such behavior. He hated the time he had to give up searching for rest. He wasn't tired; it made him feel useless and it gave him too much time to think. Better to keep going than to close his eyes and see the faces of those he couldn't save.

The last time he'd brought in a survivor, his rescue team leader had told him that this was their final rescue shift. After this the focus would be on recovering the bodies, not rescuing survivors. It felt like giving up, and he'd begged for more time to find survivors; instead he was given orders to return home after this shift ended. This was his last chance to find anyone who might still be alive in the rubble. Even though survivors were becoming scarcer than casualties, he held out hope for at least one more.

Just as he was losing faith, he was alerted to faint signs of life in a nearby building. After scanning the area for structural soundness, he was able to remove enough debris to see a still figure of a boy about his age, crumpled into an unnatural position. Even though his equipment said the boy was still alive, the lack of movement filled him with dread. Was he too late?

A small flicker of movement caught his attention. Had the boy moved? Then he saw a small arm wrapped around the boy's neck, the tiny hand clutching at the boy's collar. He shifted the boy, who was alive but unconscious, and saw a small girl beneath him. Startled she blinked up at him, smiled widely and lifted her arms in a gesture that universally meant "lift me up".

He picked her up and called for back up to transport the boy to a medical team waiting back at their base tent. The little girl seemed unwilling to be put down, and he wouldn't be allowed to go back out anyway, so he stayed with her as they were processed into the system. The relief worker documented where he'd found them and asked the child to answer some questions. The boy was her brother; their parents had been at work when the earthquake hit. He'd shielded his little sister as best he could from their collapsing home. A few more entries into the computer and then some good news; their parents had been rescued with only minor injuries and were in a nearby evacuation camp. A relief worker would bring them to get their daughter before taking them to the medical tent where their son was being treated. The girl was content to wait for her parents without him, so he made his way back to the heroes base camp.

The on-duty team leader gave him a faint smile before asking if he was going to put up a fight about taking a break now that he'd proven there were still survivors waiting to be rescued.

As exhaustion set in, and thinking about the families that would never be reunited, his detachment gave way to overwhelming grief.

"No, I'm going to go home and hug Milagro."


End file.
